Automatic cutoff mechanism for rods and wire



Nov. 9, 1943. c. J.. SCHLIFF AUTOMATIC CUTOFF MECHANISM FOR RODS AND WIRE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1942 AUTOMATIC CUTOFF MECHANISM FOR RODS AND WIRE Filed Nov. 18, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 \l llllll Nov. 9, 1943. c. J. SCHLIFF. 2,333,823

AUTOMATIC CUTOFF MECHANISM FOR RODS AND WIRE Filed Nov. 18, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 9, 1943 AUTOMATIC CUTOFF MECHANISM FOR RODS AND WIRE Charles J. Schlifl', Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Chase Brass & Copper 00., Incorporated, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation Application November 18, 1942, Serial No. 465,964

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in cutoff mechanisms by means of which rods and wire may be automatically served into pieces for use in subsequent operations.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior automatic cutoff mechanism which will effect the desired cutting with a minimum of distortion of the rods or wire being cut.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior mechanism of the character referred to and by means of which rods or wire may be automatically severed into pieces of the desired length with great rapidity and with a high degree of uniformity as between piece and piece.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior automatic cutoff mechanism by means of which rods and wire may be severed into a multiplicity of corresponding pieces with the severed ends extending substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the respective pieces and without causing appreciable longitudinal bending of such pieces.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a superior mechanism of the character referred to which may be utilized in conjunction with heading machines now commonly available and without requiring the construction of elaborate special machinery.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a schematic broken top or plan view of a heading machine in which the cutoff mechanism of the present invention is mounted, the parts being shown in the positions which they assume just prior to the cutting operation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the parts in the positions which they assume following the cutting of the rod and the ejection of the lustsevered piece;

Fig. 3 is a broken vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a central-longitudinal sectional view of the movable bar-like cutter detached, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6, together with the knockout-plunger carried thereby;

Fig. 6 is an inner face view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view partly in section of the movable bar-like cutter;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the stationary tube-like cutter shown in perspective; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the slugs or pieces which may be severed from a length of rod or wire by means of the mechanism of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings is schematically represented what is known as a heading" machine commonly employed for forming heads on rivets, bolts, screws, etc., and comprising in the instance shown a frame l5 adjacent one end of which is mounted in suitable bearings, a crankshaft IB. At one end, the said crank-shaft is provided with a flywheel I1 and at its opposite end with an eccentric [8, for purposes as will hereinafter appear.

Adjacent the eccentric IS, the crank-shaft I6 is formed with a. crank l9 and adjacent its opposite end the said crank-shaft is formed with a second crank 20.

In line with the crank IS, the frame I5 is formed with guideways 2I-2| formed in the frame l5 and in which reciprocates a slide 22 formed with an upstanding cam-lug 23.

The slide 22 is connected to the crank I9 by means of a connecting-rod 24 in a manner common in the art and serving to cause the said crank l9 to reciprocate the slide 22 and the parts carried thereby. The slide 22 together with its cam-lug 23 extends beneath a cutter-slide 25 which is mounted for reciprocation in guideways 26-26 also formed in the frame l5 and extending transversely to the path of movement of the slide 22 before referred to. Located beneath the cutter-slide 25 and secured thereto with capacity for rotation by means of a stud-bolt 21 is a roller 28. The said roller 28 is adapted to be sequentially engaged by a feeding-dwell 29, a cutter-actuating cam-surface 30 and a knockout-dwell 3|, all formed on the inner edge of the cam-lug 23 of the slide 22, as is especially well shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The feeding-dwell 29 and the knockout-dwell 3| extend in parallelism with the path of movement of the slide 22 and are connected by the cutter-actuating camsurface 30 which is inclined with respect to the path of movement of the said slide 22.

Th cutter-slide 25 above referred to is normally held in engagement with the inner face of the cam-lug 23 of the slide 22 by means of a helical tension spring 32. At its left, the said cutterslide is formed with a projecting-arm 33 carrying a bar-like movable cutter 34 secured to the said arm 33 by means of a clamping-bolt 35 threaded into its relatively-slender body-portion 36. At the outer end of its body-portion 36, the cutter 34 is provided with an integral relativelythick head 31 having its inner face flush with the inner face of the body-portion 36 (Fig. 5) and constituting a cutoiT-face 38 which is preferably carefully ground or otherwise smoothed.

Extending through the head 31 of the movable cutter 34 at a right angle to the cutoff-face 38 thereof, is a passage generally designated by the reference character 39 and comprising a relatively-large inner portion 46 and a relativelysmall outer portion 4|. Each of the portions 46 and 4| in the instance shown, constitutes about half the total length of the passage 39 and both thereof receive a reciprocating knockout-plunger 42 which has a sliding lit in the said outer portion. The said knockout-plunger, in the instance shown, has a length substantially corresponding to the length of the passage 39 and is formed at its inner end with a flange-like head 43. The said head 43 is adapted to engage with the shoulder at the junction of the respective inner and outer portions 46 and 4| of the passage 39 to prevent the knockout-plunger 42 from being outwardly displaced from the said passage. The outer end of the knockout-plunger 42 is also formed with a flange-like head 44 which by the engagement of its underside with the outer face of the head 31, serves to limit the inward travel of the said plunger. The said plunger 42 thus floats longitudinally in the passage 39 and, in addition to serving as a knockout-plunger, also serves as a gauging-member in a manner as will hereinafter appear.

The bar-like movable cutter 34 works in conjunction with a stationary tubular cutter 45 having a longitudinal passage 46 extending therethrough in parallelism with the passage 39 in the movable cutter 34. The tubular cutter 45 is mounted in a passage or socket 41 formed in the adjacent portion of the frame I5 and is clamped in the said socket by means of the clampingscrew 48 orany other suitable means, as is especially well shown in Fig. 3. The inner face of the cutter 45 extends at a right angle to the passage 46 and constitutes a cutoff-face 49 against which slides the cutoff-face 38 of the movable cutter 34.

The axial passage 46 in the stationary cutter 45 and the inner portion 46 of the passage 39 in the movable cutter 34, are sized to closely fit the rod or wire such as 56 which it is desired to out. The outer portion 4| of th passage 39 in the movable cutter 34 closely fits the knockout-plunger 42 so as to guide the same for reciprocating movement.

Located adjacent the outer end of the knockout-plunger 42 when the same is in axial alignment with the passage 46 of the stationary cutter 45, is a gauging-member 5|. The said gauging-member is mounted in the outer end of a gauging-arm 52 having its inner end rigidly secured by means of a bolt 53 to an axially-adjustable stud 54 mounted in a socket 55 formed in the adjacent portion of the frame l5, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To provide for axially adjusting the stud 54 and hence also adjusting the gaugingmember 5|, an adjusting-screw 56 is provided which extends through the frame l5 and into threaded engagement with the said stud.

For the purpose of feeding the rod or wire 56 inwardly through the stationary cutter 45 in a step-by-step action, two complemental feed-rolls may be employed, such as an idler feed-roll 51 and a driven feed-roll 58. The said feed-rolls 51 and 58 have their peripheries grooved to conform to the transverse shape of the rod 56, and have frictional engagement therewith in a manner commonly employed in wireand rod-feeding mechanisms. The driven feed-roll 58 is rigidly mounted adjacent one end of a feed-shaft 59 supported in suitable bearings mounted on the frame l5. At its end opposite the feed-roll 58, the feed-shaft 59 has rigidly mounted thereon in a manner common in this art, a ratchet-wheel 66 which is engaged by a pawl 6| carried by an oscillating-disk 62. The said disk 62 is oscillated to reciprocate the pawl 6| and hence to turn the feed-shaft 59 in a step-by-step movement, by means of a connecting-rod 63 pivotally attached at one end to the said disk 62 in a manner common in the art of feeding mechanisms. The end of the connecting-rod 63 opposite the disk 62 is coupled to the eccentric i8 before described and located at one end of the crank-shaft l6,

Mounted for reciprocation in guideways 64-64 at the left of the frame I5 is a knockout-slide 65 carrying at its end opposite the crank-shaft l6, a knockout-ram or knockout-actuator 66 adapted to engage with the outer end of the knockoutplunger 42 of the movable cutter 34, as will hereinafter appear. The knockout-slide 65 is connected to the crank 26 of the crankshaft I6 by a connecting-rod 61 which serves to cause the said crank 26 to reciprocate the said slide 65 in a manner common in heading machines and the like. Formed in the frame l5 in line with the knockout-ram 66 and to the left of the stationary cutter 45, is a recess 68 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) having a deflecting-plate 69 therein for purposes as will hereinafter appear.

Operation For purposes of description. let it be assumed that the parts are in the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein it will be noted that the rod 56 has been projected through the passage 46 in the stationary cutter 45 and into the inner portion 46 of the passage 39 in the movable cutter 34. The end of the said rod 56 will firmly seat against the inner end of the knockout-plunger 42 to. in turn, seat the outer end thereof against the inner face of the gaugingmember 5|, to thereby accurately determine the length of the rod 56 which is projected into the passage in the movable cutter.

As the crank-shaft 16 turns, the eccentric I9 and connecting-rod 24 will advance the slide 22 to cause the cutter-actuating cam-surface 36 thereof to engage with the roller 28 of the cutter-slide 25 to shift the latter from right to left against the tension of the spring 32. The described movement of the cutter-slide 25 will similarly move the movable cutter 34 together with the knockout-plunger 42 carried thereby. This movement of the cutter 34 will sever that portion of the rod 56 which is accommodated in the inner portion 46 of its passage 39 from the main portion of the said rod, and will carry the said severed portion and the knockout-plunger 42 over into alignment with the knockout-ram 66.

Immediately following the arrival of the movable cutter 34 into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, the knockout-ram 66 will engage with the outer end of the knockout-plunger 42 and force the same toward the recess 68 in the frame l5, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, to

eifect the expulsion from the movable cutter 34 of the severed piece such as 10, shown in Fig. 4. The severed piece will be kicked, so to speak, into the recess 68 by the knockout-plunger 42 and will drop therein upon the deflecting-plate 69. The deflecting-plate 69 will deflect the severed piece 10 downwardly and outwardly from the recess 68 and into any suitable receptacle as may be placed beneath the said recess.

Following the above operations, both the cutter-slide 22 and the knockout-slide 65 will be retired by their respective cranks l5 and with the result that the knockout-ram 66 will be retired and the cutter-slide 25 will be retired by its spring 32 and the parts will again arrive at the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1.

Immediately following the restoration of the movable cutter 34 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, the eccentric l8 will act through the parts 63, 62, 8|, 60 and 59 to turn the feedrolls 5'! and 58 to project the previously-cut-off end of the rod 50 into the inner portion of the passage 39 in the movable cutter 34 until such movement is checked by the engagement of the end of the said rod with the inner end of the knockout-plunger 42 after the latter has been, in turn, seated against the inner face of the gauging-member 5|.

In the normal operation of the apparatus shown, another cycle of operation, as above described, will immediately follow the completion of the cycle referred to. The rapidity of action may readily be such that less than a second per cycle is required.

By providing both of the cutters 34 and 45 or their equivalent with passages completely surrounding the rod or wire at the time it is being cut oil, not only is a square and relatively undistorted cut made, but both the rod itself and the severed piece such as 10 are not longitudinally bent.

Furthermore, by mounting the knockoutplunger 42 or its equivalent directly in the moving cutter, not only is the said knockout-plunger utilized as a gauging-member to determine the length of the severed piece by coaction with the gauging-member 5| or its equivalent, but the said knockout-plunger is utilized as a knockout when the cutter is shifted into position for the action of the knockout-ram 66 or its equivalent.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are. therefore. to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A cutofi' mechanism including in combination: a first cutter having a passage therethrough; a second cutter also having a passage therethrough extending parallel with the passage in the said first cutter; each of the said cutters having a cutoff-face extending at substantially a right angle to the axis of the passage therein and the cut-off-face of the said first cutter being slidable closely adjacent the cutoff-face of the said second cutter; means mounting the said first cutter with capacity for movement in a direction at a. right angle to the passage thereof; a knockout-plunger carried by the said first cutter and mounted for reciprocation in the passage thereof and having an outer end normally pro- Jecting outwardly beyond the face of the cutter opposite its said cutoff-face; a gauging-member positioned for engagement by the outer end of the said knockout-plunger when the said first cutter is positioned so that its passage is in alignment with the passage of the said second cutter; a knockout-actuator laterally spaced from the said gauging-member and positioned for engagement with the outer end of the said knockout-plunger to move the latter toward the cutoiT-face of the said first cutter when the said first cutter is moved relative to the said second cutter to effect the severance of a wire or rod previously inserted into the passages of both of said cutters; means for moving the said first cutter with respect to the second cutter in a direction parallel with the cutoff-face thereof; and means for moving the said knockout-actuator into actuating engagement with the outer end of the said knockout-plunger after the said first cutter has been moved with respect to the said second cutter to sever the rod or wire.

2. A cutoff mechanism including in combination: a first cutter having a passage therethrough; a second cutter also having a passage therethrough extending parallel with the passage in the said first cutter; each of the said cutters having a cutoff-face extending at substantially a right angle to the axis of the passage therein and the cutoff-face of the said first cutter being slidable closely adjacent the cutoff-face of the said second cutter; means mounting the said first cutter with capacity for movement in a direction at a right angle to the passage thereof; a knockoutplunger carried by the said first cutter and mounted for reciprocation in the passage thereof and having an outer end normally projecting outwardly beyond the face of the cutter opposite its said cutoff-face; mean carried by the said knockout-plunger to limit the reciprocation thereof with reference to the said first cutter; a gauging-member positioned for engagement by the outer end of the said knockout-plunger when the said first cutter is positioned so that its passage is in alignment with the passage of the said second cutter; a knockout-actuator laterally spaced from the said gauging-member and positioned for engagement with the outer end of the said knockout-plunger to move the latter toward the cutoff-face of the said first cutter when the said first cutter is moved relative to the said second cutter to efiect the severance of a wire or rod previously inserted into the passages of both of said cutters; means for moving the said first cutter with respect to the second cutter in a direction parallel with the cutoff-face thereof; and means for moving the said knockout-actuator into actuating engagement with the outer end of the said knockout-plunger after the said first cutter has been moved with respect to the said second cutter to sever the rod or wire.

3. A cutoff mechanism including in combination: a first cutter having a passage therethrough; a second cutter also having a passage therethrough extending parallel with the passage in the said first cutter; each of the said cutters having a cutoiT-face extending at substantially a right angle to the axis of the passage therein and the cutoff-face of the said first cutter being slidable closely adjacent the cutoff-face of the said second cutter; means mounting the said first cutter with capacity for movement in a direction at a right angle to the passage thereof; a knockoutplunger carried by the said first cutter and mounted for reciprocation in the passage thereof and having an outer end normally projecting out wardly beyond the face of the cutter opposite its said cutoff-face; two stop-flanges respectively located at the opposite ends of the said knockout-v plunger to limit, the reciprocation thereof in the passage in the said first cutter; a, gauging-member positioned for en agement by the outer end of the said knockout-plunger when the said first cutter is positioned so that its passage is in alignment with the passage of the said second cutter; a knockout-actuator laterally spaced from the said gauging-member and positioned for engagement with the outer end of the said knockoutplunger to move the latter toward the cutoiT-face of the said first cutter when the said first cutter is moved relative to the said second cutter to effect the severance of a wire or rod previously inserted into the passages of both of said cutters; means for moving the said first cutter with respect to the second cutter in a direction parallel with the cutolT-face thereof; and means for moving the said knockout-actuator into actuating engagement with the outer end of the said knockout-plunger after the said first cutter has been moved with respect to the said second cutter to sever the rod or wire.

4. A cutofi mechanism including in combination: a first cutter having a cutofl-face and a passage extending therethrough substantially perpendicular to the said cutofi-face, the said passage having a relatively-large-diameter portion adjacent the said cutoff-face and a relatively-small-diameter portion remote from the said cutofi-face; a second cutter also having a cutoflface and a passage intersecting the same and extending substantially perpendicularly to the said cutoff-face and in parallelism with the passage oi! the said first cutter; the cutoff-face of the said first cutter being slidable closely adjacent the cutoff-face oi the said second cutter; means mounting the said first cutter with capacity for movement in a direction parallel with the cutofffaces of both of the said cutters: a knockoutplunger carried by the said first cutter and recip rocating in the relatively-small-diameter portion of the passage in the said first cutter and having a head-portion extending into and reciprocating in the relatively-large-diameter portion of the said first cutter, the said knockout-plunger having an outer end normally projecting outwardly beyond the face of the first cutter opposite its said cutoff-face; a gauging-member positioned for engagement by the outer end of the said knockout-plunger when the said first cutter is positioned so that its passage is in alignment with the passage of the said second cutter: a knockout-actuator laterally spaced from the said gauging-member and positioned for engagement with the outer end 01' the said knockout-plunger to move the latter toward the cutoff-face of the said first cutter when the said first cutter is moved relative to the said second cutter to efiect the severance of a wire or red previously inserted into the passages 01 both of said cutters: means for moving the said first cutter with respect to the second cutter in a direction parallel with the cutoif-face thereof; and means for moving the said knockout-actuator into actuating engagement with the outer end or the said knockoutplunger after the said first cutter has been moved with respect to the said second cutter to sever the rod or wire.

CHARLES J. SCHLIF'F. 

